מלכים א, פרק ו׳, פסוק כ״ז

The installation of the massive Cherubim inside the Holy of Holies transformed the sacred space, creating a grand, continuous canopy that spanned the entire width of the room. There are different perspectives on how these wings were positioned within this inner chamber. Some explain that the Cherubim were originally crafted with their wings permanently extended [מצודת דוד]. Others suggest the wings were designed like those of a bird, capable of folding and opening. According to this view, it was only after the Cherubim were brought into the room and the Ark was set in its proper place that their wings were fully spread to shelter the Ark and its carrying poles [מלבי״ם, רש״י].

The physical arrangement of these figures was highly calculated and precise. They stood facing forward toward the main Sanctuary, while their wings extended outward to the sides. The outermost wing of one Cherub reached the northern wall, and the outermost wing of the second touched the southern wall [רש״י, רד״ק]. Their inner wings pointed toward the center of the open space [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ], meeting perfectly in the middle, wingtip to wingtip.

Together, the four extended wings stretched across a span of twenty cubits, perfectly matching the total width of the room. Because the bodies of the Cherubim were positioned directly beneath their wings, they did not occupy any additional horizontal space. This exact arrangement allowed the figures to fit flawlessly within the physical dimensions of the Holy of Holies, naturally and without the need for a miracle [רד״ק].